Preparation

Soak cod in a large bowl with cold water to cover by 2 inches, chilled, changing water 3 times a day, 1 to 3 days (see cooks' note, below).

Drain cod and transfer to a 3- to 4-quart pot with fresh water to cover by 2 inches. Bring just to a simmer and remove from heat. (Cod should just flake; do not boil, or it will become tough.) Drain in a colander.

Cook onion in 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Peel potatoes and parsnip. Halve parsnip lengthwise and remove core if tough. Cut potatoes and parsnip into 1-inch pieces and steam together in a steamer over boiling water in a large pot, covered, until tender, 18 to 20 minutes. 3Add to cooked onions and coarsely mash, then cool slightly. Flake cod and stir into potato mixture along with salt to taste and pepper. Stir in egg until just combined.

Put bread crumbs in a shallow baking dish.

Form rounded 1/4-cup scoops of cod mixture into 12 (3-inch-diameter) cakes and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Gently dredge fish cakes in bread crumbs to coat and transfer to a wax-paper-lined tray. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, at least 30 minutes.

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in middle of oven. Wipe skillet clean and cook remaining fish cakes in 2 batches, adding 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil per additional batch.

Cooks' notes:

·Brands of cod differ in their degree of saltiness: A less salty variety may need only 1 day of soaking, while another could require up to 3 days. To test it, simply taste a small piece after 1 day; you want it to be pleasantly salty but not overwhelming.
·Uncooked fish cakes can be chilled up to 24 hours.

SELECT LATEST REVIEWS

Excellent Recipe, very close to my own, except that I'd never used parsnip before. I will from now on. In Newfoundland we season with dried summer savory. Mustard pickles and pickled beets are the usual accompniments.

joanover45 from Shoal Harbour, NL / 07.18.14

Print with Recipe

This is a great recipe! It's really good with fresh thyme added. It's traditional to have this on Good Friday in Bermuda, along with flying kites and Hot Cross Buns! Very yummy..

BermudaSusan from Hamilton, Bermuda / 04.18.14

Print with Recipe

One of the best fish cake recipes I've
made. Love fishcakes since I was a
young girl when my great aunt.. Mabel, from Nova
Scotia cooked them for me every fish
friday. A great dish for Lent.

marie534 from laconia, nh / 04.15.12

Print with Recipe

Excellent. Used a dill sauce to top the cod cakes off. A hit with my grown up kids. The parsnips made them special. I baked some potatoes and added them to the cakes. Had to make stuffed potato skins the same day. Great outcome.

marie534 from laconia, NH / 06.16.11

Print with Recipe

As a lover of "comfort food" from home, these are pretty close to the ones mom used to make. I suggest adding a little dried savory or thyme as she used to do. The pickles are a great addition too.

karaseksru from Carbonear, NF / 01.09.07

Print with Recipe

As close to traditional as you can get! Here we serve fish cakes with chow chow (green tomato pickle) which might help Ottawa's taste less "bland". The cakes are not supposed to be spicy, just good, hearty fare. What is called "comfort food" now.

A Cook from Nova Scotia / 10.08.06

Print with Recipe

A little bland. It was good with tartar sauce though. Perhaps I soaked the cod too much?